When Bad Things Happen to Good People

I wrote this article for my column in The Times newspaper. Since that writing this has become so much more real to me. I have had a physical problem that no doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, etc. had been able to help me with. Now my own words have come back to haunt me. When bad thnigs happen to good people is now me! So I'll rewrite the parts of my aricle that I think will be helpful to you and to me also.
I am fortunate enough to belong to an interfaith group. We meet once a month and share various topics. No one imposes their point of view, we just share our experiences. This month the topic was "When Good Things Happen to Good People., by Harold Kushner.
One of the first things our leader pointed out was the first word, "when". Notice the title didn't say "if" bad things will happen it says "when". What a concept. What if we just accepted that we will go through difficult periods of our lives. For some of us it's physical illness, either ourselves or family members. For some of us it's unemployment, divorce, or the death of a loved one. Sometimes we get several of these all at once.
Now, this is what is going on in my life. I've lost a dear cousin to cancer, a close friend is dying of cancer, and I can't find a solution to the pain I've had for almost two years. I'm angry, I'm sad. I rail against Nature, against God, forgive me for that. I look for answers. They are not there yet. Will they come? I certainly hope so.
Now, I struggle to accept all of this. It's so easy to say, just accept. But acceptance is such a messy process. It takes us time to go through all of the emotions.
Then I wrote this in my previous article: Difficult times are the times we reassess our lives. Again that's so easy to say but hard to do. When we're in the middle of a painful time, physical or emotional, we just want the pain to end. Maybe then we can reassess our lives. I know that to heal from emotional pain we need to feel it and go through it to the other end. I'm not so sure what to do with physical pain which doen't go away. Maybe some of you who are much wiser have better answers.
Why do we have pain? I don't really know. Perhaps we do become people and are able to help others going through the same pain as we are. I wish there was an easier way. I would take it in a second.
I do know that if I look back on my difficult times they always ended and I did grow emotionally and spiritually.
For today I wish all of you Peace, Love, and Joy.
Myrna